Vox DA5 Digital Amplifier

I bought this amp just for home practice, having the built-in effects unit is a bonus as it keeps the wiring to a minimum. I don't have a dedicated music room so it needs to be easy and quick to wire.

The power level is more than adequate and the headphone socket is a must.

This is a low cost package and the quality is more than adequate given the integrated nature of it. I'm using a Standard Strat and noise pickup isn't an issue, provided the small external power supply is kept 3 feet or more from the pickups.

So far so good.

No faults so no need for support.

Overall it does all I ask of it. I bought it on recommendation and would replace it with another of the same if it was stolen.

I am mostly an acoustic player, but wanted a little practice amp and was also attracted by the modelling and FX. This little beast is really very good for the bucks, and a lot of fun too.

I use an Ibanez semi-acoustic. Play blues, rock, soem folky things, singer songwriter ... whatever. Tend towards clean sounds as I use a lot of chords that have extra 'colour' - 9ths, sus chords, etc. FX are nice but they have to sound musical.

between the amp modelling and the fx you have a lot of scope to mess around. They managed to squeeze a lot of stuff in - you can even set delay/flange times by tapping tempo, really neat.

Only issue is that the speaker is tiny so sounds quite tinny. But it seems churlish to complain about that - it's a tiny little portable amp, that's what it is.

only had it 2 mins ... don't expect any issues really.

na

it's just crazy good value. practice amp, I'll even use it as an FX box, take a feed out into my bigger acoustic amp for small gigs. May pass it to my daughter who is learning guitar and likes rock music in a while. It runs on 12V dc, I guess you could also power it from a car or whatever as well.

First of All I have many amps at different size. The feature of this amp is similar to my Roland Micro Cube. But with more and better amp models. The effects are also more and better in term of tweakability. I also have Korg Ampworks G and I think the DSP engine of this thing is similar, just without the Cabinet Models.

I wish it had a full range speaker so the MP3 will play better for backing track. Just like in my Microcube.

I think the sound is best at its class. Just like the Valvetronix series. But without the valve/tube reactor circuit. I don't know why, but it is easier to make good sound on this amp if compared to my Valvetronix, maybe the tube add more complexity in tweaking the sound to my taste.

The Clean and lower gain overdrive sounds really great. Good to play jazz, pop and blues at room volume. Of course the high gain models do not sound good without enough bottom amp. Look at the size of the speaker, come one!

It is damn quiet. Good for both single coil or humbucker, depending on the amp models.

so far it has not broken.

never had to use them. I think Korg's/Vox quality is in par with Roland.

If you are starting and looking for your first amp. This will suit your need, I have been playing for more than 20 years. I think I'm good enough for the style I play (mainly blues and classic rock) but more importantly, I have a good ear for sound. The Korg/VOX modelling is the best I found so far in this area. I also like BOSS, ZOOM and Line6 modelling but always found myself going back to Korg/VOX for the musicality.

By now everyone has read all the features of this amp.

I have had this amp for about a year now and it is great. I usually use the 1.5 watt setting at 1/2 volume on the clean2 setting (fender sounding) and its plenty loud. I use the crunch2 setting (marshall distortion) setting and a little reverb and I can cover a lot of bases with just those two settings. I hated the chrome grill so much that I took it off and spray painted it a semi flat black like some of the other Da5s come with. You can order one now that has the brown diamond pattern cloth. I prefer the blue diamond cloth and North coast VOX now has a special edition with the blue cloth that looks amazing. I run this off batteries and with the back cover removed it sounds so much better. I may mod it with a speaker output jack to plug it into a larger cabinet. I did experiment with hooking up this amp to a Vox pathfinder 15 8 inch speaker but it did not improve tone or volume so will stick with the stock speaker. I have had many small tube amps but have to say this one gets a lot of play time as it can be put on a closet shelf out of the way or moved anywhere to play it even outdoors.

no problems

Made 2007
5-watt DA5
digital sound,
11 distinctive sound styles,
11 built-in effects,
knob-based control panel,
battery or cord power
handle
light weight

I play various styles of music. I have Taylor acoustic, Almansa classical, Fender Strat, Gretsch Hot Rod, Gibson Les Paul.
It sound OK through single coils pups. Good sound for a 6", no farting.
It sounds horrible through double coil pups. The speakers farted a lot, eventually my amp died because of this.
You can't expect much from any amp that is digital and this small. If you want tone get a Champ 600.

My amp died within 10 months time. I kept it next to my bed and had only about 15 hours of play. Most of this was through my Strat. When I played with the Grestch it would sound horrible. The LP was a little more tolerable. But I feel the hot pups fired the electronics.

-no you can't gig with it.
-it is as reliable as a toy amp.
-yes it broke
-it broke because it has cheap electronics

I took it to Guitar Center. They gave me a little hassle but accepted it and are in the the process of getting it fixed. No word yet.

-I never dealt with Vox directly
-Guitar center has it now and they are trying to repair it through the warranty
-Guitar Center is an autharized dealer
-Warranty is for 1 year

I have been playing for about 30 years. current gear:
Custom Bogen CHA-33 tube amp, Custom Stromberg Carlson tube amp. Alnico Jense 12' cab. Various effect (I never use). Gibson Les Paul Standard, Fender Stratocaster, Gretsch Hot Rod, Taylor steel strign acoustic, Almansa classical.

-If it where stolen I would be sad because I wouldn't be able to sell it in eBay.
-It's a great little amp to have next to your bed and play at night.
-I wish it had less bells and whistles, and more quality.

I bought and installed the 6" Jensen Mod speaker in my DA5 and it sounds good. However, it is 4 ohm, and the original speaker is 8 ohm. Does anyone know if that is going to damage the amp? The more I have researched it on the net, the more contradictory information I found.

I also read that you can install a 4 ohm resistor on the positive speaker lead and that will bring the resistance to 8ohm so the amp is "seeing" the 8ohms again.

This stuff confuses me!

Please email me at mc354@optonline.net if you have experience with guitar amps and changing speakers and can offer your opinion. THANKS IN ADVANCE!

Great practice amp with great sounds. See my earlier review for more info. The cleans are better than the distorted tones, but they are still all fun. What can you expect from a battery powered amp?

Just a 9, I'd like to have bass- mid- and treble-controls, not just a tone knob.
But I'm really suprised, this amp has many features, in a compact box.

I play death metal and hard rock.

This thing is awesome, i like the higain-2-channel. But the lack of tone controls makes it difficult to get a great metal distortion. Overall really good.

The amp is solid as a rock and its look-and-feel could'nt be better.

Why just 6? The AC adaptor is a peace of crap. I had to fix it with tape, it broke almost to its parts. I know, replacement adaptors aren't expensive, but it could be better.

Never dealt with them.

It was my first guitar amp, and I still use it for practice at home. This amp is great for jam sessions, practice and rehearsals.

It's perfect, especially for beginners!

Nice little amp for not a lot of money. I use it as a practice amp or portable amp when i don't need anything loud and it handles that job fine.
I have heard, though, of people using this amp as an effects/tone box and then feeding into something larger. I used it like that for a gig once put through a Line6 stack but i didnt really like the sound, i use my Fender Hot Rod Deville for gigs now.
It's a digital amp, so it's got quite a few presents in terms of tone and effects. I prefer the Blues settings as they are the most appropriate for my style. I use some of the effects.
I'm giving it 7 because it's cheap, small and doesnt sound all that good but its fine for a practice amp.

I dont think it matters particularly what guitar you use this amp with as its not tube so isnt as responsive. It could suit most styles of playing i suppose but you would have to compromise really good tone for a good volume for home use.
I think this amp sounds okay with my Strat on Blues 2 setting, Tone about halfway with a little bit of reverb. this is probably the warmest sound you can get out of it but with a strat its kind of bitey as well. the clean channel stays clean but its a digital amp and never goes all that loud. the distortion from this amp sounds tinny and plasticky but i dont play with a lot of gain through any amp.
i'll give it 6 because its fine for a cheap, digital amp.

heres the good part...its REALLY SOLID. ive carted it all around town on buses, back of cars, dropped it, played catch with it. its size and portability mean its actually quite robust.

never dealt

look, ive probably been too critical. its actually quite a decent little amp, i havent come across one this cheap that wasnt a complete joke like those stupid Mini amplifiers that somebody thought were a good idea.
if you want a cheap amp that does the bedroom-practice thing then buy this one, but youll really enjoy band practice once a week!

I bought in new in 9/08. The serial no 070926 so i assume it's the build date
i only play nylon string guitar solo so i don't need those features
- 2 chnls 1 mic, 1 intru
- i I wish it has the SLR inputs too along with the 1/4 jack. So if you have the mic with SLR cable then you have to have the SLR-to-1/4in transformer to plug in. That's how I mic my flamenco guitar. I also wish they have the AC adapter built-in instead of a seperate piece that you have to cary them around. I guess you can't have every thing since this unit is battery powered.

The tone is much better than my Roland AC60. The DA5 sounds best if you keep the volume down enough. Again my application is nylong string guitar. I have the Fishman pickup (under saddle) on my guitar. And on both MIC or Line application it sounds best if you have the volume down. This means it works well in intimate setting. I'm sure it sound great with elec guitar on high volume

used only 2weeks, no idea

n/a

i have an Roland AC60. For my app (nylon string guitar, solo) this DA5 sound more real than the AC60
I'd like to get the rival Roland Mobile Cube that I heard it's very the same
I love the size, weight, sound
I hate the separate AC power adapter, the mic knob sticks out to far
I really want to have an amp like this with better mic preamp so that I can mic my guitar

For what it is, and what it costs it should be a ten; but of course there are other features (looping, drum beats, backing tracks etc..) that could make it even better.

My favored setup these days is Parker Fly split to PA for the piezo, and regular PUPS into the DA5 input, Headphone/line out into a Crate microblock effects return, out to a 15" ported bass cabinet (not sure of mfg. but a quality speaker.) My sound is Huge!!
I am constantly chasing tone and have pushed Pods, and tubes, and synths, and boxs.
The DA5 setup is so easy, and sounds so good! I'm sure I will probably tire of it someday, but for now it is a keeper that I use playing out with a full band. I keep the VOX close so any realtime tweaking is done with that. The bass cabinet keeps the sound warm and musical. I cover the spectrum of clean to singing leads with just the volume knob and pickup selection on the guitar. With the Crate I can get more than loud enough for situations I play.One of the best features is that, though I am at screaming heavy metal volume I can pretty much silence all noise by simply laying my hand across the strings. Thats friggin huge for quality, soft to loud dynamic playing. I don't use a lot of the available effects, but just the simple fact that I have an unreal usable sound with the tiny thing makes it worth its weight in gold to me.
Playing the DA5 without sending out to some real power and some real speakers is way weaker, but just awesome for bedroom practice.

Had it 2 years +, never had a problem. I bought this to replace a Roland microcube and am very happy. Much better product (for me anyway) than the Roland.

no contact.

For the money paid, to the sound achieved. If it were lost or stolen, I would go and buy 2 more!!!

The Vox DA5 that I tried was made in 2007.
It has a digital preamp, solid state power amp, and 6.5" speaker.
There is only 1 channel, with 11 different amp models.
It also has 11 different effects options.

For a practice amp the features are okay. However, I wish it could store & recall at least 1 sound (in addition to the current knob settings). So you could switch between clean & dirty sounds when you jam along with your favorite tunes. Also, I think separate controls for Bass/Mid/Treble would make it much more versatile.

I borrowed this amp (red version) from a buddy for the weekend. I tried it with my stock '57 reissue Stratocaster, & MIJ Ibanez RG570 modified with Dimarzio Norton/VV_Blues/PAF pickups.

The clean sounds are useable, but it's impossible to dial in any sparkle without sounding thin & harsh.

The crunch sounds are okay, but have a similar problem as the clean sounds - you cannot dial in any bite without sounding too thin & harsh.

The high gain sounds are compressed, nasal, unmusical!

I'm not sure how anyone can justify high marks for sound quality here. Just because it's one of the better sounding cheap amps doesn't mean you can give the same score as you would for a hotrod Bogner or Boogie. That just causes confusion for us all.

I've been playing/gigging for over 18 years. I was hoping to buy this amp for my daughter, who is doing quite well on the acoustic guitar, and wants to try out an electric guitar. However, I'm going to spring for a real amp for her. She'll be far better off with something like a Fender Blues Junior & a decent distortion pedal.

Purchased in 2007. Paid/Stole it for $70. It is very versatile, covering clean (like a Fender) to Heavy-thick distortion (like a Marshall High Gain amp). I wish it had a true line out opposed to a lineout/headphone. When you plug in the line out the power from the unit itself stops. It would be great to just use the amp as a monitor and send the signal to a PA system. If it had a line out it would be a 10. also, I have been playing for about 15 years and have gigged quite a bit. Although this amp is probably not loud enough to gig with.

I use it to practice at home and it is plenty loud. My family hates it, sort of. My 14 year old son is having a change of taste. After first playing it in our 2 story, 4br house 1800 sqft. my wife went up stairs in tears with the her last words being "that thing is nerve racking". Makes me smile now just to think back on that moment. It is loud for 5 watts. I would prefer just a little louder, but that is apparently just my opinion. All the sounds on this amp are just flat out fun. I have Played through Fenders amps (Super Reverb), Peavey Delta Blues (good amp), Marshall to name a few and have found this one to be perhaps the most fun and certainly more versatile. I have owned and played through other modeling amps such as the Pod and V-amp and still prefer the built in combo of the Vox. Generally when playing with others I will use the clean settings at full gain and roll back on the volume of the guitar (generally a G&L strat) to get a clean bright sound and when leads are necessary I will open up the volume on the guitar to give me the tone I want with out breaking up. Nice, nice, nice.

No problems so far.

Have not needed to call.

I have been playing for 15 years and have giged alot over the years. I have played in alternative band, country bands, church song services and this amp would fit any style. If it were stolen, I would buy the higher watt version, but I would replace it with another Vox modeling combo. A line out that does not shut off the main speaker would be my only addition to the amp. It looks like a toy and probably is, but I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one and to use it in small settings or to mic it and use it in a larger venue.

I agree with all the "10" ratings for this amp - this category gets a "9" because I agree with Effect's review - the sound is considerably improved by replacing the Vox speaker with a Jensen Mod 6-15 (I didn't even use the transformer). It corrected that "hollow" soound in the clean settings, and improved its sound with my acoustic (nylon string) guitars a great deal.

I'm going to try replacing both speakers in my DA-10 now.....

2007 model with 11 amp styles and plenty of effects to play around with, single channel, CD input and headphone jack. Variable power makes this a great practice amp. 6.5" speaker is the only thing I'm not crazy about, but VOX has other models addressing this "issue". Could ask for another input but where would you put it? :)

I play a Jay Turser JT-133 (ES-335 clone)and was prepared to be disappointed, but this little amp lives up to the hype! There's a bit of hum but I stand pretty close to the amp and don't hear this as I move away. I love the Clean and Blues settings and am really finding it difficult to stay away from Crunch and HiGain! It will be hard to justify buying any effects pedals anytime soon.I was surprised at how loud it can get without speaker breakup and haven't been able to push it yet fearing a knock on my door; I live in a single-family house with a full home theater but this amp screams!

Feels very sturdy, solid and well balance. I cocked an eyebrow at the carry strap but after trying it don't give a second thought. Nothing that says cheap at all for $135

Not needed, a good thing

Played about 10 years before a 20 year break, just getting back into it. This is my first amp since my teen years. I had ordered the VOX Pathfinder 15R online since no one had it locally; despite showing Available I received an email the next day stating the last one sold before I ordered and it STILL showed as in stock after the email! Frustrated and not willing to wait I dragged my wife into Guitar Center with me to see what small practice amps they had in store. I saw the DA5 model as soon as we walked in but did not see where they were stocked. She pointed out Marshalls and Fenders Frontman 15 but my reading had me set for a VOX. I thought about the DA15 because I really wanted the 8 inch speaker vs 6.5, but had to be real since our rooms are on the small size and time to really crank it would be scare; they didn't have the DA15 anyway. That also ruled out the Peavey ValveKing Royal 8. We finally came across the stash of DA5's and I picked one up, prepared to take it back if I didn't like it; well, that's not happening. Perfect size for practice in any room plus the headphone option and it sounds great! I'd replace it if lost or stolen. Maybe in our next house I'll step up to the Peavey or Fender Super Champ XD, but the DA5 is staying.

Tons of great sounds, and if you want to dig into it you can tweak the available effects to your hearts content. I use it for great low volume practice tone. Take the small wood panel off the back for great open cabinet sound!!THEN.... I love to use the line out straight into the effects loop return of my Seymour Duncan 100 watt convertible amp to bring the perfect singing tones up to live drum volume band level. Unreal tone monster for the price of a decent pedal.

Using mostly with a Parker Fly. For the $$ it is amazing!! OK the clean I guess could be cleaner, and sure the little speaker isn't going to be shaking the walls . But screw that, for 135$ this thing is a 10+

this amp was made in 2007,this amp does a good job of covering everything from clean tones, to blues, to classic rock.I play mostly classic rock, motown,blues, and some jazz.this is a single channel amp, with no switching, but it does have a headphone out, and a aux in.I use this for recording, and sitting around practicing.It,s louder than I expected, and sounds great in the .5 watt mode.

I play a Parker Nitefly with Dimarzio pickups.this amp is super quite, and makes no noise,even on the high gain settings.This amp rocks,the clean is nice the blues sounds are very good, but the high gain models blow me away, the distortion is big, fat and smooth, it,s very responsive to your picking.

no opinion

no opinion

been playing 36 yrs. and own a ton of equipment.I would replace this in a heart beat, ilove this amp!I love it,s small size,low price, and great sounds. there is nothing i hate about it.There is something about this amps voicing that I really love, It,s my kind of sound. I have seven guitar amps, and none of them can match the lead sounds of my Vox!If i cuold get a 30 or 50 watt version of this, that sounds the same as the DA-5, It could become my #1 rig,it,s that good.The fact that this amp only cost me $125 still makes me smile when I play it.It,s very hard to get this good of a sound with a tube amp, and then you still need some FX the Vox has it all in side.

The variable output power is nice for recording and playing at night. The three knobs that allow you to tweak the effects are very nice. I have a Fostex MR16 HD CD recorder and I can run a cable from the headphone out to a channel in on the MR16 (no mic) and the recorded sound sounds like a a mic on an amp.

This is a great little amp.

FWIW...I have a 76 Silverface Champ, a newer Pro Junior, and Epi Valve Junior and a Hot Rod Deluxe. I love the old Champ. My nephew and I were playing jazz together with a Tele & Strat using the Chanp and the DA5. There were times when I forgot who was playing what amp (I couldn't remember if I was plugged into the Champ or DA5 - The DA5 was as warm as the point to point tube amp).

The DA5 has a reverb/trem setting that produces a great clean Fender trem sound using the Blackface model.

I'm nearly 44. I've played since I was 11. I don't use the high gain settings but the AC-15 and Blackface settings are amazing clean and clean/dirty tones. It's a clean and blues mini monster.

The Roland Micro cube produces no volume. The DA5 is as loud as a 70's Champ. The Roland Micro cube offers very liitle effect tweaking. The DA5 has three tweakable pots for each effect.

The speaker on the DA5 is 6"...the Microcube is 5"

Solid state wooden box with a metal grill....that's a 10.

I can't rate this. Do you repair an amp that costs less than a stomp box?

I'm sure that the local guitar shop would help if it broke in a reasonable amount of time.

I love low watt tube amps. I have three of them. I bought the DA5 as a toy and I can't stop playing it. My Champ is a childhood friend and it's sitting in the corner. I was playing jazz this evening with a Gibson SG using the AC-15 model with a slight gain edge and the trem/reverb setting.....it was delightful.

I'm thrilled with DA5...it's not a toy.

A little cubey-looking single-channel digital modelling amp, made in 2007. My one has the 'classic' Vox look, and that's why I bought it. It is quite versatile, and most of the 'amp models' got close to the sound of the originals. The headphone jack is okay, but the out-put is a bit weak (I use Fostex RP series headphones). the efects are spot-on and handy, especially when shredding. I mainly use this amp for home/studio practice. It is as loud as it can be for a 5-watter. I actually prefer it to my Ephiphone Jr. 5-watt tube jobey...Ah well. By the way it says, made in Vietnam. Hurray, it's not in CHI-WAN. Cool.

The DA-5 tries to cover the gamut from 'clean to shred' and it does a fair job. All the amp 'models' sound close enough. Depending on your 'model' selection, it goes from clean to overdrive and distortion. My toss-around guitar, a Godin Exit-22 with maple neck, set up with SSH, and GHS 10-42 cover all the guitar-sound range.

It' only 2 months old. I won't gig with it, but I've mic'd it for cutting some demo tracks. It has a nice friendly puppy dog 'bark' to it, and it sits well in the mix

I've owned lots of Vox tube amps over the years when I lived in the UK. Their Class A's had some issues with premature tube death, heat and noise. That was then, and this is now. This is a baby digital amp with some teeth. Never had to deal with Vox, and may not have to, seeing the solid construction of the amp.

Been bending the strings for a few decades, in Studios, and on stage. If it were lost or stolen, I would get another one. What is amazing about this amp is the size (perfectly formed), the battery option, and the variety of tones you can get from it. IMHO, it kick the butts of most other amps in the same price range and category, and that includes the Roland Microcube, which I also own. This a great amp for the dough, especially considering all the nice 'Korg REIMS' EFFECTS and the 'models'. I'd say it's a multi-stomp box device, with 'AMP & SPEAKER' attached...Hey, Vox, how about naming it the Vox AS-5?

the features have all been covered in other reviews,but it is a 5watt s,s, amp with switchable power levels (.5 watts, 1.5watts amd 5watts)and built in effects.also has headphone/lineout jack, and aux. in with it's owm volume pot.for the price it's loaded with features

the amp models are all good, but the high gain sounds blew me away!I can't believe the sounds and volume that come out of this little amp!the clean sounds are good and the FX are OK.But overall the amp models just rock.the crunch and blues model sound great, with a wide variety of gain settings.the tap tempo button is also a nice feature I can't help but smile when i play this amp, for $125 try and top it

don't know yet, had amp for about 1 month, can't stop playing it

no dealings with vox so far.

been playing 32 yrs own a parker nitefly, kramer pacer deluxe and a lot of amps fender line 6, roliand cube30 and carvin to name some of them.I heard this amp at a friend's, and was so impressed with the sound, and volume, that I went straight to the music store and bought it!The switchable power settings are great, and I prefer the .5 watt setting with the amp all the way up, it screams with smooth, fat, creamy distortion and sustain for days.still can't get over how loud this amp is, even on the .5 watt setting!

The features have been covered very well by other reviewers so I'll just put in my 2 cents. I wanted a coffee-table practice amp and originally went with the Roland Microcube: I loved that amp but the speaker could not handle a lot of the jazz chords I play, i.e. it mushed out. The Microcube's effects are superior IMHO and the effects were also dialed in with a much more user-friendly format.

Originally I thought the DA5 was rather bright and toothy, which is good in some situations...with tweaking I got a wide range of sounds that I really do like...plus the heavier speaker (than the Microcube) can handle a fair amount of volume.

I don't really like the effects setups and combos, or the fact that you get a preset for each amp that you must tweak. No big deal though as I don't use much effects other than reverb and a little delay sometimes. Overall, great features and tones.

My favorite tones on this amp (and there are a lot of good ones) are the Blues 1 and Crunch 1 settings with just reverb set at the 0.5 watt level with the gain and tone set at about 1:00-2:00 o'clock positions. It really nails some great tones at true livingroom volumes: sounds like a pushed amp on the edge of break-up; just adjust your guitar's volume and tone pots and you can get it smooth to dirty. That's my personal style and what I consider to be a hallmark of a good amp. I recently played it at a small jam session on the 5-watt setting and it was plenty loud with everyone else also on small practice amps. I believe the Roland Microcube's clean tones and effects setup are superior, but the speaker ruins it. However, the DA5 gives a wider range of really good tones and the effects are good. Exactly what I wanted out of a practice amp; I may even record with it given that it sounds so good.

This amp has been knocked off the coffee table several times and still works fine. The build seems quite sturdy. I have no idea about servicing as this is a current problem in the retail music industry: retailers sell it but won't service it. I'd probably just buy another one as it costs what a decent effects pedal costs.

No idea, but I have little faith in "Customer Support" these days.

I've been playing 23+ yrs and have tried to remain open to newer technologies as they have come along and it has paid off: I had one of the very first POD's which I blew up and now have a PODXT in addition to the DA5 and a Marshall Vintage Modern 50-Watt half-stack. The DA5 replaced a 1960 Gibson GA5 Skylark that I loved but it just kept breaking down (it's now "not for sale" at a friend's used guitar shop). I would definitely by another one if the DA5 broke, was lost, or stolen. I compared this amp to the Roland Microcube, and various Marshall, Crate, and Fender practice amps; the Fender G-DEC loops drove me crazy and I think the sounds on the DA5 are far superior. Great value for the money; I think you will not be disappointed once you get it home and tweak it to taste. Definitely try the different wattage level settings are this is a key tonal feature. Best of luck.

Wow! I've been playing this amp non-stop for days and still haven't discovered all the sounds it can make. 11 am tones, built-in effects, noise reduction and everything is tweakable. (you can find a full, concise review of all it does at http://www.imuso.co.uk/directory/reviews/equipment-reviews/vox-da5.htm)

I will be using this for practicing, recording & smaller venue (and outdoor/subway) gigs. The sounds have opened up new arrangements for my old songs and inspired new ones. The line out will make for nice home recording of demos to take to my producer for future consideration.

I especially love the elegant power engineering on this. Yeah, C batteries are not common, but using them means that Vox could engineer the power draw that enables you to use this with batteries for up to 30 hours(!) on 1/2 watt. Even on 5 watts, you can play for 12-15 hours. That is astounding (and why it is C batteries, not AA or 9v).

The controls are intuitive (love that!) and you can edit many of the parameters of the effects. Some are just okay (Autowah), others are just gorgeous (Chorus + Delay or Chorus + Reverb). But I've had fun with all of them and have discovered some effects that I hadn't had much of an interest in using before (Rotary).

The amp tones are terrific. I appreciate being able to switch on the fly, but wish there was a footswitch to help that. I also like being able to use this as a pre-amp to a larger cabinet/amp when I need a beefier sound than this little puppy can produce. It is especially nice to be able to get a good high gain sound without disturbing the neighbors.

Finally, I love that it has a separate line in/mic channel (complete with its own volume control), so you can have an all-in-one amp. It is the perfect amp for busking.

I've put this through its paces with every guitar in the house (Fender Showmaster, Fender Strat, Gibson Les Paul, Hamer, Taylor & two customs) and it is hard to make it sound bad. But it is possible.

It doesn't handle an acoustic guitar as elegantly as an electric. There are feedback issues and I cannot make it sound as good as I can through my Fishman (duh...not engineered for that). High volume/High gain sounds muddy until you take the back off the amp (fine with me...I prefer the open back sound). Yes, it has its limitations - it's just a 6" speaker - but I've yet to find a sound that I just hate.

Wish it had an EQ. That would solve most of the above problems. But I can just plug in one between guitar & box if I really want.

Part of the reason I love this amp is that I can use it for all styles - folk-rock to jazz to texas blues to heavy metal. I can also get effects from subtle color to all-out weirdness. It is great for songwriting & demo recording as a result. Plus, I can change set lists on the fly if the audience at a venue clearly wants something else than I had planned.

Noisy? Hell, no! This baby even has NOISE REDUCTION BUILT IN!!!!

This sucker is brilliantly engineered and is built like a tank. Even the speaker is protected on the inside so it is hard to damage it by putting the plug or a tuner in the back to rattle around (all the same, I wrap them in a small towel before I do so). Currently, I would use it at a gig at a small venue. I'm loath to go to any gig without a backup, but, with batteries, it is its own back up to some extent.

N/A - haven't had to deal with them. Vox/Korg has a good rep though.

Currently, this amp gets played all the time and my other amps (Fishman, Crate, Marshall, Fender, Behringer) are gathering dust. I'll have to tear myself away and get reacquainted with my live acoustic rig soon, though. If it were lost or stolen, I would buy another in a heartbeat. (btw, I've been playing guitar for 31 years)

I was not planning on/looking to buy this amp. I saw it used in a store, liked the features I saw on the top & back and could afford $45.00 for a little Vox. It wasn't until I got it home, downloaded the manual (http://www.voxamps.de/uploads/media/DA5_OM_E1.pdf) and really put its through its paces that I fell in love with it. I cannot believe how much "stuff" the Vox engineers have packed into such a small, elegantly designed package.

There is a sound you will like somewhere in this box. If the presets don't do it, tweak around. You'll find it.

More than enough

Are you kidding..? Probably one of the best sounding amps ive played through!! Great for soloing! Great tone! Rock Blues Country or whatever.

Ive taken this thing everywhere; the beach, mts, shows, camping, you name it. So far, no issues.

No idea. Havent had to deal with them. THats a good thing too.

This amp makes me sick. I have thousands of dollars in rack gear and this thing has a better sustaining lead tone! Pisses me right off. Ive used so much equiptment in my 18 years of playing i dont know where to begin.. This thing really is awesome! My only wish is that they made a 150watt head just like it. I play rock and blues fluently and play in the band Ashes Remain. Im very picky with my tone and know when i hear something good. This smokes the microcube amp! Way to go vox!

It's a little practice amp which mean I'd expect no features. This has many quality ones. Easy access tap tempo is nice. As far as I can tell settings are not saved when you change settings. I would have gladly paid more for saving settings and a reverb control separate from other effects.

For what this is and cost it's absolutely awesome! My main amp is a fixed up old Fender Deluxe Reverb. Though it's doesn't shine like that, I find plenty on inspiring tones from this cheap little box.

Worked perfectly for a month but totally died after a plane trip in a suitcase. All connections seem fine so not sure what happened? Otherwise seemed well built?

I loved it until it stopped turning on. I also play bass and may get the 10 watt DA10 now. The extra speaker will help it work for battery powered bass playing. Nothing compares to great tube amp but I highly recommend this for a portable solid little companion.

I own a 1963 Vox DA5 prototype with a custom 6.5" greenback (silk dome tweeter) that I modded with a WWII-era soviet power soak...

OK, it's a Vox DA5 like you see in the catalogs. I bought it as a practice amp for writing at home that would give me plenty of sonic options. It delivers in spades with a very nice group of amp simulators that run a wide gamut from clean to distorted. The effects included are also really neat.

Sure there are some things that aren't that great for my taste (ex.: I'm not a big reverb fan and many of the effects include it) but for the most part they did a bang-up job. By the way, 5 watts is plenty loud--it's just that the speaker can't handle it that well. I find the 1.5 watt setting (being able to pick between .5, 1.5, and 5 watts is very cool) to be a nice balance.

It looks pretty cool, too. I got the red one. I like the carrying strap a lot. My runners up were the classic (but I already have an AC30) and the pink one. Wish they had white--that's what I liked about the Microcube.

Great features for the price.

My main amp is an AC30 and Vox knows the Vox sound. It also knows what people like in Fenders, Marshalls, and Boogies, with the slight edge going to the "British" in its somewhat darker colored-ness. Is it flawless at reproducing them? No. But it gives reasonable facsimiles of them that are fun in their own right.

I don't find the amp terribly responsive to pick dynamics, nor does it have the distinctive "push-pull" sound of tube amps. But it is clear, harmonically interesting, and has a nice throaty roar to it that is Vox-y at heart. I think all the crunch and distortions are pretty nice for what they are; metal-lurgists may disagree--but then, don't buy a 6-inch speaker s.s. practice amp!

I'm impressed by the effects sounds overall; each one sounds professional. For being an inexpensive, in-one-unit group of effects, they are surprisingly versatile and adjustable. I'm not huge on effects in general but these are quite nice. I particularly like the flange and the rotary sounds, but they're all decent.

I play classic/indie rock and picked this amp as a writing tool. "Cheesy" is NOT a word I would use to describe this amplifier; the closest it gets to that adjective, I'd call "charming." It has more than enough to inspire new sounds. I think it's a fine achievement.

Seems well-built; I haven't really peeked at the guts.

I have been playing for 25 years. Guitars are Les Paul, PRS, Fender. I have had Fender, Marshall, and Boogie amps in addition to my AC30. I had a hard time choosing a practice amp, as the various competition have their advantages, in that each might do a certain sound better. Once I realized I'd be using it mainly to write at home, not to gig, I liked the portability, variety and quality of features, and looks of the DA5.

If stolen or lost, I might replace it, or I might sample the competish. Does it go with my hot pants? is really the question.

The DA5 would be a GREAT amp for a kid starting out. Man, I WISH this type of thing were around back in Ye Olde Dayes. Really quite miraculous what these whippersnappers now have available to them. To me it is fantastic as a sonic notepad that does not offend the ears at all. For what it is, it is mighty, mighty cool.

You have read it in the previous posts. For a little practice amp, a nice collection of features...

It is OUTSTANDING to be able to use this amp via battery power and play along with acoustics without drowning them out.

Cleans are GREAT. The heavy distortions, not great but useable. The crunches are nice and classic rock sounding.

Very fun to play a strat through the clean sounds with a spash of reverb (which sounds great as well!).

So far so good. Made in Vietnam. Lets see what kind of products they push out...

Have not dealt with them.

I bought this amp for my father to play around with. I have a few higher end amps that sound very good, but when I would go to Dad's house, I just loved playing through his amp.

I stopped at the music store the other day and saw a DA5 in the classic style and just said forget it and bought it.

I played it over the weekend during an acoustic jam. I played some solos on my strat through it and it sounded PERFECT. It did not overpower the acoustics (although I easily could if i turned it up more)...

When I first purchased the amp for my father I compared it to the Roland MicroCube, and it was NO COMPARISION. The roland sounded very lifeless and sterile in comparison. The VOX just seems to interact better with the guitar in a more musical way. Try it and you will see. For the money you can't beat it. You also can not beat the tiny size and the ability to run it on batteries. How damn cool is that?

This amp actually has too many features. They could take out all those high gain amp modes, they sound pretty bad. They also put in too many effects and lumped them together. You can turn parts of the effects off if you want to like turn off reverb in chorus+reverb mode by turning the effect knob down. The microcube implemented their effects better I think. Some improvements I would like would be to make the strap buttons metal(easily changed), remove that plastic grip thingy from the strap, it makes it harder to carry, Put a right angle plug on the AC adapter so if it falls backwards, it would not break the PC board. Wish they would make the cheese grater grill black not chrome. Wish they had put a 12volt SLA battery in it with a charger instead of C batteries.

The clean 2 is the best mode, I use my tubescreamer for distortion sounds as the amps modes are not very good. This has 3 power levels that you can choose from. Bad thing is if you dial in your tone at the 5 watt level, then drop to 1.5 watts your tone is gone and you have to tweek it again to get it back. This happens even more if you drop the power down to .5 watts. I leave it at 1.5 watts, dial in my tone, turn on the clean channel, add a little reverb and it does sound very good. I am running it on batteries and it still sounds good. I got this so I could move from room to room easily and not disturb others in the house. Love the small size.

No problems.

no problems.

Mine is pink, special edition and very nice gift from sweetie.
I was among the first to own the microcube, and at the time it was way incredible. Now with this Vox I really can't stand it anymore, I sold it right away.
If you like the rectum fryer sound, the microcube do it better than the Vox (but quieter of course). It is the only department in its favor.
What I like is the tweakability of effects, a huge improvement to any sound.
The power attenuator on the back is way useful too, and more so since I use the Vox hooked to an open-back 212 box in my living room.
Now sweetie has some regrets, after all it was not a so good idea for a gift...

I like clean and not to distorted sounds, and the thing sounds absolutely killer. Very natural, relaxed sounds in there.
Not too tight, so the heavy fraction should look elsewhere, but nothing unmanageable with a metal zone in front of it.
Absolutely silent, a nice point. Very good sounding effects, only the lack of compressor w/reverb combination is to object, but this applies to the whole ad series so...
One point for the lack of rectifier sound, but myself I don't care.

The open-back design lets you see the innerlife of the main board, I would have seen a better protection since we have the possibility to use this carrying space for a pedal or God knows what.
No opinion since it's new and working flawlessly.

This amp is a real one, hook it to a big box and you'll see, and a good sounding one.
It made me to buy a korg ax3g in order to have its sounds elsewhere, and I am in love with the Vox modeling thing, fresher and more natural than other stuff have/had. Such as line6(flat and lifeless, no sparkle), Fender fm25dsp (still flat and lifeless, but some sparkle and enjoyable), and Roland cube 30 (somewhat dark and flat, still lifeless, but usable nevertheless).
My atention on Vox modeling was drawn by Mr Rob Math on gearwire.com and his test of the vox ad30vt, a very precise transcription of what the Vox modeling does. And I found the same sounds in both da5 and ax3g, hats off for your honesty Rob.

This is a practice modeling amp. all solid state. can run on 'c' battries. several useful settings. Like all modeling amps, there are like three or four good settings and the others are filler. Its loud, and a very handy size.

For what it is, the prime competitor to the Roland MicroCube, its absolutly superb! really, there is no comparison.

Yes, its solid state. It either works out of the box, or it doesn't. Used by kid to good effect at outdoor recital and it was fairly loud.

n/a

I also have the AD 30. I like this better. This blows away the Roland Microcube. Considering that a bottom of the barrel practice amp is $60 but this is only $125, I'd say its a bargain. For a parent shopping for a practice amp for a kid, this solves the problem, period. Beware though, this amp can be irritatingly loud.

It's a fairly new model, which I've owned a few months. If this amp won't do it, you probably don't need it. It is super for playing around at home, low volume jams, and campfire rockouts!

I love the way this little box sounds. You should be able to find just about any sound you want in there.

Don't know.

Don't know.

I've been guilty of ranting on and on in the past, but have gotten a little tired of all the long winded reviews. So, I thought I'd keep this one short.

I've played forever, and own or have owned about anything you can name. If you play guitar, any style, you need one of these. It sounds good, can cover a lot of ground from solo practice to jamming with an electric drummer. Unless you mic it, it won't cut it for a gig - just in case you're tempted to try. And, bottom line, it's just plain cool - what more do you want for the money?

Solid state practice amp with several built in effects (reverb, auto-wah, flanger etc). 5W max output with power selector. Auxilliary in, Line in, Headphone out. Can be powered by battery as well.

This amp has settings for clean, blues, crunch, higain, and drive. All sound great.

I play mostly soft rock, a little blues. This amp does both wonderfully.

It is a practice amp. Would not gig with it.

It has never broken down yet.

Never had to deal with customer support.

I have been playing for a little under 3 years now.

I run this amp with an Ibanez AS73, and the combination sounds awesome. I have fiddled with the effects - and I mostly use reverb, and sometimes delay or flange. But that's about it. The amp is capable of a lot more, though.

Eleven amp modes/models and plenty of effects. It's small enough to pack in your suitcase for the plane, or you could even put it in a backpack and carry it on. I got it mainly for travel, and the size/weight is perfect for that. The control for some of the effects is a little complicated, but it's nothing to really hinder the overall value of the amp. Besides, I don't really use effects. I got the one with the classic Vox styling - it looks really sweet.

First the bad - it's got a very slight hum when on (undetectable while playing it), and it seems to be more sensitive to your cell phone than other amps (y'know, that annoying beeping sound that cell phone signals make through speakers).

I know, the bad points are pretty petty, so let's get to the good stuff! This is one of those modelers where all of the models sound good. I've got other modeling pedals - a Line 6 Pod 2.0 and a Zoom G7 - and both of those have some really sorry models. Vox (or actually Korg) made the most of all 11 models. The cleans have sparkle and character, and the overdrives all have a good range. You might have some problems with a real metal sound, but really - this has a 6.5" speaker and it says "Vox" on the outside. Of course it's not meant for metal! That said, it does have good high gain sounds, and they sound as fat as the small speaker can make them. The effects are all pretty good, though I really only use reverb. Another good sound option is found with the battery door - it's made of wood, and it's located on the back of the cab... this translates to open back and closed back sounds! Not too shabby if you ask me.

I have used this with a Gibson Les Paul and an American Strat. Great sounds from both!

No problems yet, but I just got it. Looks well-built.

I've had to call them before concerning a different amp (the problem was really with the retailer - long story, blah, blah) and they were nice and helpful. Remember, Korg owns the Vox name, so you're actually dealing with Korg when you call Vox for support.

I was really amazed by the sounds of this little thing. This would be a great first amp, practice amp, or travel amp. I've been playing alternative and classic rock for 11 years, and I've got a ton of gear. This is a fine addition to the collection!

Brand new vox da 5 amp. It is extremely versitile, many effects. I use mainly auto wah, chorus, and the crunch settings. At home I use the .5 watt setting. You can see all the bells and whistles on the website so I won't go into detail. For a semi-serious amateur like me this is an ideal amp.

I also own a Fender Mini-Deluxe, and for a few extra dollars the Vox is very impressive. Totally worth the $100 I paid. It has the power, the look, and the versatility to handle many effects, plus it is completely customizable

The crunch 2 setting is nice and chunky, even with my Fender Strat with the 3 single coil pickups. Auto Wah sounds very good. The clean channels are probably the only thing that I can criticize. But that is a minor complaint, and I'm sure with a little tweaking I could get the sound I am looking for.

I have had it for a short time so no opinion.

Don't know yet.

Great value, great looks. I am very happy with the purchase and it was one of those things I knew was a good decision right out of the box. You will not regret purchasing this amp, if your need is something smaller that still has many options for sounds and effects.

I really don't think the amp needs much more, except as others have said it would be nice to have a input for a sound petal. But Vox has my loyalty now for this high quality product.

NEAT LITTLE AMP!!! I got it for X-Mas, have played it almost every day since. It is my sit in the living room and noodle around amp...basically disturbing my wife as we watch TV...REVVING up those American Idol Jack-asses!!! Anyways this thing is PERFECT for that. You probaly know all of the features or you wouldn't be looking at this...VERY nice Modeling tones for sucha small package. Has a neat feautre of being able to slap some batteries in it an go portable!!! Kind of cool...for FEATURES I will give it a 10!!! It ain't no 70's Marshall/AC-30 or anything like that...but it can clone them in your bedroom/Lvingroom and not freak out the neighbors!!!

All kinds of sounds can come out of this thing!!! Like the onboard effects!! Wish I could blend a few more other sounds together but such is life!!! It has a TINY speaker so don't expect to drop it down by a set of drums and keep up!!! It is 5 watts or 2 or 0.5 or what ever they have on the back of it...I got it set at .5 watts right now...and it is PEFECT for what is does!!! Does touch my 66 Super Reverb, or my Brothers AC-30, but then again at bedroom volume it is much clearer and crisper...so how can you raet that...for what it does I say 10...in the overall sceme of life maybe a 5....

Bullet proof so far!!! It is a Vox/Korg thing...they have been around a long time...

No need so far...wish there was an on line manual!!!

For what this thing is meant for it is OUTSTANDING!!!! A bedroom BLASTER...I am closing in on 40, but if you are young guy/girl....don't worry this thing can still irritate your parents...If you are a parent this thing will irritate you, but I sure wish I had somthing like this when I was a kid (I had a little Peavey that to this day makes me a little leary of that brand...although my Brother just picked up a 5 watt Tube King which is pretty NEAT). Like I said, compare it other little amps in this price range...it is a 10!!!

For me, the best feature is the sound. I don't really care for the effects, and bad is that there is not enough room for some decent knobs for volume and tone, plus the effects are automatically ON whenever you switch on the amp. They are nice though.

The sound:
Well I have to admit, I'm really just interested in THE SOUND: MY sound, and if the amp has just an on/off switch but delivers it, then I'd rather have that than an amp that gives me 200 poor sounds.

Surprisingly enough, when finally A/B-ing this baby with my 1976 VOX Escort (which I absolutely LOVE), I will now have to admit, that, yes indeed, I like the new one better than the old.
Crunch2 is where for me the magic sits: gain 5 / tone 5 / master 10. With a Zemaitis or my Electric Gypsy, the sound is absolutely perfect for me.

Could NOT believe that a small battery powered "modern" thing can out-sound my little vintage Escort (which I bought in London in 1976).

Everything is pretty flimsy on it, but that doesn't seem to matter much. I knocked it around quite a bit already, and everything works just fine on it.

I don't like the wall-wart setup: will probably replace that with a real on-board transformer.

BTW the batteries give you 9V, but the AC adapter should give 12V DC.

Never dealt with VOX directly. So cannot say.

I am a fully pro guitarist for 23 years, semi pro before that. And a gear addict... I also build my own amps, and build my own guitars that are getting quite the recognition (read reviews right here on HarmonyCentral: Teye guitars)

If this baby gets misplaced or all torn up, I'lll just buy another (Immediately).

LOVE the sound, compared it A/B with the Pignose (will not comment on risk of being overly harsh); and with my 1976 VOX Escort. I think the DA5 wins easily.

I wish it had a longer strap (but am about to fix that!)

Features as with other listings. Full range of effects and adjustability on both clean sounds and effects. I use it at home because I'm not good enough yet to be seen in public with a guitar. I sound fine at home alone, though, and the amp is better than I am.

It has plenty of effects and adjustments - more than I will ever need. For improvements, I have two suggestions if VOX reads these things: 1. Use of AAA batteries instead of C batteries; AAA's would take up less room and make the little storage compartment into a nice little storage compartment. 2. Use switches which have a more positive feel. The ones on there work fine, but I'd prefer a more solid feel changing between style models. That's really nit picky though.

Initially I didn't like the speaker grill, but now I realize I could hit it with my car and the speaker would probably survive, so it's a good thing. The battery compartment is big enough to store the AC transformer and a short cable but not at the same time with a can of beer.

The sound quality on this amp is simply amazing for it's size. Use is at home, but it has plenty for small outdoor settings or small venues. I tested the VOX DA5 compared to the Roland MicroCube with both my a/e and with solid body electrics. The VOX sound is MUCH better than the Roland for clean sounds with the a/e active pickup. For passive pickups, both the VOX and the Roland are both nice amps but the sound quality on the VOX remains ahead of the Roland, in part because of the larger speaker. Volume was no comparison - the VOX way outperfoms the Roland. No hum or other bad noises (from the amp)..

No opinion. I just got the amp. It seems very well made. I'll probably take it apart to modify the battery layout so I can get a beer in there.

No Opinion. I bought it at Guitar Center and the person I delt with (Krystal) was relly very nice. I would buy there again.

I've only been playing guitar for a couple of years. Have about 20 years of playing other instruments in symphony, jazz and blues. I consider tone to be more important than effects, and since I'm mainly playing fingerstyle acoustic, the clean sounds on the VOX makes it a perfect amp for me. I'm planning to use it on a jazz box (Ibanez Artcore AG75) I'm getting in a few weeks and feel it will be perfect for blues/jazz as well. My son plays metal, and likes the effects and volume on this amp for that style. I might have to get another one....

Just picked this one up. Delighted! This little entry level amp has the broadest array of musical sounds of ANY small or solid state amp made yet! Truly versatile. There is nothing else that even comes close to the sound quality of the DA5. The unique, SIMPLE control panel is a pleasure to use. Esp. nice is the great variety of sparkling clean sounds, as well as semi crunch. The ultra gain settings are huge too, tho I seldom go there myself.
Super light and portable, I love it! I can fly anywhere with this, and deliver my colorful sounds with ease!
It uses no footswitch, but is such a responsive amp that I don't mind that. It has no line out jack except for the headphone which unhooks the speaker. I will simply add a jack to send line while leaving the speaker on. EASY if you know how. This way it will be my own monitor, and ready to drive virtually any kind of board or other amp that may be wherever I go.

This is the FIRST all transistor amp or effects unit I have found that gives TRULY AUTHENTIC guitar sounds! Great brightness, snappy clear notes, not cheesy at all. Tight and punchy on the low strings, not muddy. SO happy with this! I have played professionally for 40 years, in virtually every style of popular music. I have worked my way up from a heathkit 5 watt hifi to the marshall and dual showman stacks, and back down again thru the various combos. I have been using a small modified super champ for quite some time now. I have it miked on stage.
I would not hesitate to use the DA5 as a stage amp, miked or direct. I will set it near me, knobs within reach. It is plenty loud to hear because it has such good clarity and presence, even at the 1/2 watt setting.

New, I really don't know, but it runs cool, super efficient, and well built. Love the battery feature, a REAL plus down in the Islands! I expect it will be extremely reliable, and certainly a breeze for general servicing.

I have no idea. I am a good tech and would never bother to send one back at this cheap price.

40 years pro. Delighted with this tiny amp. No similar product is even remotely equal to this one. From a travelling pro, this is the best buy around. I have tried the DA15, and most of the larger Vox models. I actually PREFER the sound of the DA5 to all of the larger ones! My review is based on sound, but obviously the tiny size of this bawdy little amp only makes me that much more happy with it.

As many reviewer have already stated, I write this review as a comparison to the Roland Microcube.

Advantages of the Vox over the microcube are:

1. Most significant, SOUND (see below)
2. More effects: The auto wah is a desirable feature for many players not available on the microcube.
3. More amp models for sound versatility.
4. Power switchable from 5, 1.5, and.5 watts also adds to sound versatility.
5. This final comment may seem less important. As far as portability, the Vox is larger and heavier. This may seem like a strike against it in the comparison. However, the velcro battery/speaker compartment can be used to store the power supply, a short chord, and even a small tuner. This, IMO, make it more portable.

9 because I personally am not a fan of the tap feature on the effect interface. Though, it is growing on me.

I was, and still am a fan of the microcube. However, in a head to head sound comparison with the Vox, the microcube falls short. This is particularly true with the clean sounds. There is virtually no comparison in this area. Lower low's, higher high's, etc... The Vox just is phenomenally more dynamic than the microcube.

For other sound comparisons, when combining efects and distortion, sound becomes more of a matter of personal preference. It should be noted though, that the benefits of the larger speaker in the Vox makes it difficult to compare.

My students and I have been using it for 3 weeks now. My students' musical tastes range from metal to country. Whether playing Keith Urban or Metallica, the Vox delivers.

Too soon to tell, but I have great faith in my favorite old-fashioned/"main street"/ independently owned guitar shop, Mojo's in Edwardsville, IL. (http://www.mojosmusic.com/) to ake care if any problems should they arise.

N/A

Been playing 20+ and teaching around 4. Currently play through a Rivera, '68 Super Reverb, Vox Tonelab, micrcube, and a Genz Benz acoustic amp.

Perhaps the strongest endoresement for this amp has come from my students. Each lesson they argue over who GETS to play through the Vox and who HAS to play through the microcube.

Bought my Da5 in August 2006. I had serveral Vox Amps, (Pathfinder 10 and 15, both good Amps for the price! I sold them, when I got my Vox
AD15VTH, which was and is much more versatile and sounds much more full) For my doughter I bought a Roland Micro Cube, which is an impressing little Soundmonster and does a good job for practising.
A little later I saw, that Vox brought out the DA5. I decidet to wait a while, and read some reviews first. What I read seemed to be so good, that I bought one now, and really: This Amp is a winner and a keeper. So many possibilities in such a little cabinet: Fascinating!

If you ever played a valvetronix Amp by Vox, you can imagine, what kind of sounds this little Amp delivers. Not in the perfection of the
big amps, but the way, the style, the character. From clean sounds to
highgain you can form your sound with a wide, wide spectrum. I play
this little Box with an american standard Strat, its a joy to play.
Direct comparison to the Micro cube - as somebody else wrote before -
the Vox wins. Theres simply more "Bass", theres more Body, and the
crunch and the distortion is more "serious" an a "tick" warmer. The
effekt Section is pleasing! I wish I could use some effects pure and
alone, which are combined, but I see, that the budget for such a small
amp has limits.

OK.

Don-t know, not needet yet.

This is by far the best battery driven Amp, I-ve ever played. Wonderful the fact, that I can switch the output power between 0,5 and
5 Watts in three steps. It reacts very good, it sounds dynamic and
full, its a joy to play. The 6" Speaker produces a saddisfying sound.
Very well made, Vox! For me a dream has come true: I can play in my
Room at home with a huge amount of sounds ands effects, without disturbing my neighbours too much. You must know: This little box is
still loud. Even if you use 0,5 Watts. The 50 Euro you have to pay more for the Vox (Micro cube 99 Euro) are good invested. I would buy it again, if it was lost. I don-t miss my pathfinders. And I ask myself: should I sell my AD15VTH? Its too loud just for practising at home....As I have the DA5 now, I predume, I wouldn-t miss it....

2006 Vox DA5 - Battery or Power Adaptor. Tons of features! Good for literally any style of music. It uses "C" cell batteries, and depending on where you set it a .5, 1.5, or 5 full watts, it will last as long or longer than the Roland Microcube. I use this amp mostly to lay back and pluck around on it, also have written a couple of things on it. Could not ask for more form a battery based amp.

I compared this Vox DA5 head to head with the Roland Microcube, which is also nice, but the Vox won on all counts. Very Important: the Vox has a full size 6" speaker, the Microcube speaker is smaller. The difference is the Vox sounds more full bodied, and the Microcube sounds tinny & suffers by comparison. Once you bypass the effects and play it clean or distorted, it sounds great as a pure practie amp. I've mostly played Humbuckers through the distortion, but tried a Tele on it recently, and the Tele brings out a very Vox-ish chime, in the clean channel. Great sound all around.

This Vox is built like a tank, I've had it in severe weather, sitting in a car during snowy weather & on the beach, and it hasn't given me any problems at all.

Comes with a 1 year Warranty /& my dealer said if it broke just bring it back and he'd either repair or replace it. Not bad at all!

For the first week you have the Vox DA5, you might as well cover up your regular amp & plan on feeling a little guilty..like your cheating on your wife/girlfriend..but you will spend many, many hours on this little amp without even realizing it. The fun factor is definately there. For instance, I sat down to fiddle with the many different settings, and wound up learning "Crimson & Clover" & I didn't even particularly want to learn Crimson & Clover. Vox has improved on the basic premise of the Roland Microcube.

The main reason I got this amp was because I don't own a car, and wanted a nice light little luggable amp that I could throw in my backpack and take to jams at the local jazz club, or to a coffeehouse gig, and be loud enough to be heard. This amp serves that purpose just fine- I've been very satisfied with it.

With this amp you get a variety of mystery amp "models"- two clean, which is probably clean vox and fender; three blues which is probably overdriven fender, two crunch which must be marshall plexi and jcm 800, three high gain, which is probably modern marshall, peavey 5150 and mesa dual recto, and finally drive which is like mesa mark series. (I'm just guessing here). you also get a number of effects and effects combinations which you can dial in with a level control, and edit their parameters (the manual explains how)

You have two inputs: and guitar and mic input with level control; as well as an aux input for cd players, etc.; and a line out for a PA, larger amp, or headphones (which is very useful)

This is a really basic, straightforward amp to use and takes no time to figure out.

I was curious about trying this amp, but was worried it would sound like a toy, being so small. Luckily, I was wrong- it sounds like a decent amp, on the cleaner tones, at least. It's not going to sound like a Fender Twin, of course, it's just a tiny practice amp.

Although the clean sounds are decent enough, the distorted tones are a different story. They sounded really cheap and fuzzy. Running the line out into a bigger amp helped immensely, though- the distorted sounds are much, much bigger and better. It's kind of sad, though, because it defeats the purpose of a "practice amp" if half of the sounds are almost unusable through the tiny speaker, and you need to run it into a larger amp to get the DA-5's full sonic potential. It's cool if you want a practice amp that can also double as a decent preamp... but as it is I can only really recommend it to players who use cleaner tones, like jazz and roots/blues players. Which suits me fine- I only wanted to use this amp for cleaner tones anyways, and if I were playing in a louder rock band where I'd want to use the more distorted sounds, I'd just pre-amp it into a more powerful amp anyways.

I prefer using the amp with my Strat, particularly on the more distorted tones. To my ears, the fuzzy nature of the distortions works better with the single-coils on my Strat. The Les Paul I have sounds terrible with distortions on this amp but great if I run the DA-5 into a bigger amp.

The sounds are all pretty good and cover a wide range of amps and playing styles, but are probably limited by the single tone control in some cases, particularly for the heavily distorted sounds. Again, using the EQ on the amp I was running it into was able to shape the sounds more, say, for getting the perfect scooped-midrange metal tone.

I'm not a big effects guy, but the effects all sound reasonable to me and would suit me fine if I wanted to add a bit of tremolo, reverb, etc. to my sound.

I agree with one of the earlier posters- that digital noise you get when you turn on the unit is really annoying.

I would have to say that this amp does what I want it to do and suits the very specific needs I have in mind, and does those things well. As well, it makes for a nice, versatile preamp into a larger amp.
I've never tried the DA-5's main competitor, the Micro-cube by Roland, but from what I've heard it seems to sound better in the high-gain modes on its own (I could be wrong though). If you want a tiny practice amp strictly for metal perhaps the MicroCube might be a better choice (again, this is just judging by what Ive seen in a few demos on their website).
Other than the distortion sound issue though, the DA-5 is a good little amp for carrying around.

...see other reviews for features. considering the price and size, i couldn't ask for more. the tap tempo makes this a "ten".

i also like that you can attach a guitar strap, for carrying over your shoulder.

...practically the only setting i use is the first "clean" setting, with the gain maxed and the tone control around 12:00 o'clock. add a touch of reverb, and i'm "in the tone zone". i am constantly amazed at how well this "digital" amp responds to picking dynamics and changes in guitar volume.

i use mainly single-coil strats and teles. at 58, i'm a roots and traditional player, but with a major weakness for modern hard rock and metal.

the effects range from good to very good, but i especially like the reverb, delay and flanger. i have yet to attempt to edit them.

the only weakness this amp has is the digital distortions, but they are still usable in this context, ie tiny practise amp.

in spite of that, this is the single most inspiring piece of equipment i've ever owned, so for that vs the price, i have to give it a nine.

...there's an annoying digital "scratch" when you turn the unit on, so i'll deduct a point for that, but i'm being picky.

i've only had it for six months, with no problems thus far.

...this was a gift, but purchased from a local store (steve's music store in toronto). i have little doubt that they would look after me if there was a problem. i'm confident that erickson/coast music in montreal, the canadian distributor, would also step up to the plate, if necessary.

...again, i have to give this product a solid ten.

i have been playing it for two hours every night for the past six months, and STILL can't wait to plug in every night. all my other combo amps sit idle, including a vox pathfinder 15r, vintage supro, vintage gibson and traynor ycv40wr (stage amp).

i plan to buy two more of these amps to keep at other locations.

New 2006. Really versatile for rock, folk, blues, jazz, all of which I fake sort of okay.

I use all types of guitars, bass, electric Ukulele and electric violin with this. It is a gas. Been playing for 35 years and this is one of the most fun gadgets ever!

(Effect, reviewer, thinking about your mod of a Jensen speaker... does the amp have the same volume with the addition of the 4 Ohm inductor?)

Second day I've had it, and have already logged 20 hours of flight time! Seems reliable, though, I did get a replacement warranty just in case.

Didn't need to contact them as of this point.

I wish it had a tuner and a footswitch to cycle through functions, but it does cram a lot of cool stuff into a tiny practice amp. I might even use it to play small parties, or plug directly into a PA on stage. I love how great an acoustic electric sounds through it. I love my SRV sound through it, and the delay games you can play can get very out there.
I would definitely replace it. It actually is a replacement for my old portable battery Mouse amp from the 80's, whose battery finally died from neglect. The DA5 is far superior to that one!

For a 5 watt practice/travel amp it a well worth the money. The effects on it are good. My only complaint is that you can't get delay and reverb together, nor is compression coupled with any other effects, I'm over it.

To me the greatest feature is that you can change the wattage. You can push a half watt, one and a half watts, or five watts. It's perfect if you play at many different venues of different sizes. I use it for acoustic coffee house gigs when I add a slight electric guitar atop the rest of the band and I use one and a half watts, not through the PA. If I am jamming with the guys 5 watts pushed at around 8 keeps up with it fine.

IF YOU ARE A COLLEGE STUDENT OR LIVE IN AN APARTMENT, THIS IS THE AMP FOR YOU. You can hit the sweet spot of the amp at a low volume. That's the glorious thing about a half watt.

My other complaint about this is that there is is no outboard foot control panel. This is good if you are a lead guitar player, not carrying the ryhthm but rather adding sparkles on top of songs. If you have your hands free you can get all different sounds by changing the settings with your hands. If you don't always have time for it you are in a bit of a pickle.

Ridiculously versatile if used right. If you don't actually spend some time tweaking it you will get frustrated and give up and probably write a lame, ball busted review. If you are using an american fat strat you can get a very broad range of voicings if you use crunch two with the gain at 7.5 and some reverb. Use your volume knob on your strat to gate the gain. If you are a blues player, the blues settings are good enough to jam. If you are a metal guitar player, this may not be your best choice. Go with crate, it make me cringe to say that. Not a great metal sounding guitar amp. Great for practice amps.

very reliable. I have been on 3 tours since I bought this, and this was my only piece of gear. Very easy to travel with. I left a roomfull or cabs, pedals, and heads at home and just took this. Sounds good miked with a sm57 (remove the metal grill and properly position the mic.

best practice amp, IMHO

Very good amp modeling. Some of the effects are fun to play with but the ones I use the most are reverb and delay+reverb and some of the compression effects for when I want sustain.

Sounds like a little tube amp on some settings. You can overdrive the clean for a nice blues sound. The output power settings .5, 1.5 and 5 watt really work. You can set it to .5 and crank the master and gain and overdrive the amp by turning the volume on the guitar up. Turn it down and it cleans up. The distortion amp models are decent for grunge and low octane metal. The speaker is not too bad either. You can get a decent enough bottom end out of it. I was going to get an Epiphone litte 5 watt tube amp but this is better for practicing and you don't need an effects processor. It won't disturb anyone in the next room when your playing. It gives you all the tone without the loud volume.

Have had it for a week. But seems to be solidly built.

Comes with a 1 year warranty

I've been playing on and off for 30 years. I have had other practice amps in the 15 watt range with 8 inch speakers. Behringer GM108 and Fender Frontman 15R and my main amp is a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. This litte VOX DA5 is probably better than 99% of the 15 watt 8inch speaker practice amps past or present. This thing is amazing. The sounds you can get from such a small amp. It is everything you could want in a practice amp. Portable and powerful enough to play at the backyard shindig.

All the features have been explained in other reviews.
This amp is as versitile as anyone could want. You can cover every style.

I use a Strat with Fat 50's and a Les Paul with 57 Classic pickups.
This amp has noise reduction, but it's really quiet. I haven't had to engage it.
I bought a Roland Micro Cube a couple of months ago after some friends recommended it. I didn't like it. The clean sounds were not good. Plus, the speaker farted out very easily, especially with the clean sounds. All tones from the Micro Cube have a very heavy "processed" sound to them. I hate that.
The DA5 sound very analog and natural. The clean sounds are awesome, as are all that are available. There is no farting out at any volume, and it gets much louder than the micro cube.

I'm guessing this amp will be very reliable. It's solid as a rock.

Haven't, and probably won't have the opportunity.

I've been playing for 36 years. This is a great product, obviously made with quality and players needs in mind.

I think it makes the Micro Cube sound like a toy for kids. It so cute that it comes in red, too. Awww.

My review is basically a comparison of the Vox to the Roland Microcube. It has a nice range of amplifiers. The quantity of effects is good. I really like the tap tempo, but one thing is a deal breaker for me...you can only get delay by itself or with one of the choruses. I like delay. Sometimes I want it with effects, sometimes without. If the delay/reverb was separate, this amp would be serious competition for the Microcube. The other thing is C-size batteries.....C-size??? Not the most common. The Microcube will go at least 20 hours on 6 AAs. That seems plenty.

The sounds from the unit was really good. It has more of a British flavor (duh!) than the Microcube. It all depends on your taste. The cleans were fine, with the blues stuff and with the lead sounds, there are darker to brighter models. There is definitely something in there for you. What I like about this amp is the speaker size. The main problem with the Microcube is the "farting out" on all but the quietest settings. This amp does not have that problem.

I'm not rough on gear, so I rarely have problems. This amp seems to be well built. I would not expect problems.

The are a quality company with a huge reputation. I have never called them.

I've been playing since the 70's. I play live every weekend and practice about an hour/day and teach. I'm holding off on buying this one due to the delay being combined with the other effects. Otherwise, I'd get it. And in case you're wondering.....yes, I played it. I had carte blanche to try it out unfettered for about an hour in a quiet store, then I jammed with some players (no drummer) for about an hour. I use one of the Line6 products to play live. I really like these new small, low powered amps like this. I just want to see some improvements before I get this one. I have the Microcube which my youngest son has latched onto. I want one more for me, but I'm going to wait for now.

**** UPDATE ****
you can read about what I said about this amp earlier... I replaced the VOX speaker with a Jensen Mod 6" (put a 4 ohm inductor inline with the + speaker cable... also upgraded with some rockford fosgate speaker cable i had lying around. BOTH HIGHLY RECOMMENDED... mabye not rockford cable but any decent speaker cable)

from the vox speaker i got a brittle hollow sort of sound, the mod 6 is much rounder, the bottom end is not as sloppy and has a nice punch while the highs retain a bit of that british sound. it already sounded decent before and i personally thought it was pretty much a tie between the roland micro cube and the little vox, now after the speaker and speaker cable upgrade... VOX ALL THE WAY. the blues and clean amp models seem to be made for this speaker, the high gain amp models also greatly benefit. For the cost of the amp, ($120 i think) and the speaker ($26 on ebay shipped to my door the next day) it outclasses everything in its price range and +$100 above as far as tone goes.

Got a good look at the guts of this sucker (VERY easy to disassemble btw... good job guys!) and i didnt think an amp needed such a big heat sink, but seeing it only reassured me of its reliability, everything was nice and neat, well soldered.

never dealt with them

read my other review

If this amp was food, I'd say it was delicous! Its got a great clean tone and can give you some great blues tones. On crunch, I can play hendrix stuff and when you go on the HiGain/Drive (if you play metal or hard rock at all), you will be amazed with the sounds you can get. You don't even have to change the tone or anything to get them, you just select them. (all the way from Clean 1- Drive). Oh by the way there are 11 of them. Then there is also effects!

This amp is great with my Ibanez Artcore Afs75. I can go with blues, rock, hard rock, clean stuff, whatever.

Very dependable

THe only thing I'd change it for is a Vox Valvetronix Ad50vt which is pretty much just a louder version of this.

see above
it is not possible to save presets. when changing the soundsetting, ampmodel etc and switching back, the settings are gone. that isn't good and vox didn't answer to my question.

it sounds great! much better than the microcube. more punch, more bass. you can play this amp in overdrive mode with real smooth feedback. the cleansound is glasklar! ok there is no acoustic simulator, like the microcube. i have tested both directly in the shop befor buying. the vox is more real! very good: the separate input for a mic. the effectswitch and parameters are much better than microcube, because of variety. ok , it does not sound like a valvetronix, so my rating is for a battery amp, just what it is.

The best battery amp I've heard ever!

Bought in 2005 (today actually)
has like 11 things with some other things that do stuff... strap buttons.. just read the other reviews if you want to know its features... or check their website

I play a 1998 Gibson Les Paul Double Cut, rock to blues and some jazz and funk... I can get a workable sound for all my different musical styles with this little amp. the clean channels are by far my fav on this amp... it breaks up a little (in a good way... like slightly overdriven fuzz) when I have my volume all the way up on my guitar, roll it back and I can make a nice glassy tone. The DSP effects are pretty good though I probably wont use half of them. The cabinet modeling (style knob) is pretty sweet, i can get a nice glassy clean to a dual rectifier sort of sound from a quick turn of the knob. overall the sound isnt outstanding but for a practice amp, it is definately no slouch. I think if I can find a suitable replacement speaker, this amp would sound gorgeous

just got it today so i dont know... looks sturdy enough...

never dealt with them

if it were lost or stolen, Id probably get another one or a Roland Micro Cube.